Stories by Julie Hecht

I like playing the game, "What's going to make people mad?" Dogs wearing pantyhose = mass hysteria! A dog being walked by a drone = not cool...

Let's pretend you and I meet at a `Spring is finally here!' potluck in the park. You: Hi! Me: Hi! After exchanging niceties about your horrible subway ride (mine wasn’t so bad), you mention you work in (fill in the blank), and we chat about how crazy (fill in the blank) has become.

If you think I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, Thank You! That means you stopped by Dog Spies in May 2013 and read a post with the same title.

I am not a manners minder. If food falls on the floor, I abide by the 5 second rule and then tack on another 30 seconds. Do forks, spoons and knives have a special place at the dinner table?

In 1996, veteran dog trainer Jean Donaldson picked a fight with Walt Disney. Donaldson begins her book Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Dogs by explaining that people continue to buy into a made-up, Walt Disney version of dogs.

How wonderful if you could pose this question just once in your dog's life and receive a perfect answer that would last a lifetime. Imagine if there were a ‘right' formula, and once you know it, you could feed your dog forever and ever on the same exquisite diet.

Well, not quite. But maybe they wrecked a few Dog Fart Suits. But did cow farts blow up a building in Germany? Or is that just an April Fools joke?

Some people get divorced. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin `consciously uncouple.' Fine. I don't know exactly what that means (and neither do you), but here's my take on how dogs have been `consciously uncoupling' way before Gwyneth and Chris even met: 1) Butt Sniffing Humans greet with handshakes and hugs, while dogs greet with head-to-head [...]

One of my earliest ‘grownup’ gifts was the Dawn of the Dead box set, so I was a happy camper to find myself on recent flights to and from San Francisco sitting next to people watching World War Z.

For people who don't understand this whole companion dog thing, I can imagine DOGTV being the tip of the `I can't believe how crazy dog people are' iceberg.

February might be a short month, but like every month, it was packed with a healthy dose of dog studies and dog news. In case you were hibernating, working, catching up on a good book (or True Detective!), taking care of a sick loved one or just not reading dog news, here's what you should [...]

Here's why I love what I do. I took courses at the The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and I regularly attend veterinary conferences (particularly AVSAB and AVMA), but I am not a veterinarian.

Apparently cows are terrorists too. Last month, journalists reportedin what can only be described as a chicken-run scenario of cows plotting their big escapethat a herd of dairy cows in central Germany caused an explosion in their housing facility.

I meant to tell you this earlier. The Dog Spies tag line: ‘Explore the science behind the dog in your bed is actually short for Explore the science behind the dog in your bed and all the other animals we interact with and care for.’ You can see why brevity won, but this expanded [...]

The World of Dog revolves around humans. If youre a companion dog, who you socialize with, when you frolic in the park, and whether or not you procreate are often determined by someone with two legs.

Sitting on the couch, with your dog curled up by your side looking ever-so-peaceful, maybe youve been overcome by the thought, Gosh, wouldnt Banjo make the most perfect therapy dog!?

“I get it. Like you, I have known (and loved) dogs who have massacred pillows, invaded cabinets and made abstract art with toilet paper.

Does it smell weird in here to you? You know what Im talking about. That nagging feeling that something smells different, but you just cant put a finger on it.

Your knowledge of your dog is unparalleled: You, not I, know whether she sleeps in the same spot all night or instead has a migratory sleep pattern.

Growing up, I thought A Pet Is Not a Gift was just another Golden Rule. If you had pressed young, animal-loving Julie and asked: Well, why, Julie?

If youre here after reading Part 1: What Are Dog Farts Made Of? and you came back for the dog fart suit, stay with me; itll return momentarily.

Ever since the childrens book Walter the Farting Dog hit bookstores in 2001, even the youngest members of our species know the truth. Dogs fart.

Wishing you all happiness, smiles and gratitude. May your day be filled with a good dose of your version of this: Thank you for joining me in the land of canine science!

Thanks to a recent study on the urine flow of differently sized mammals (yes, small mammals “drip” and large mammals “jet”— more here), I came across a gem of a YouTube video where three out-of-frame tourists on safari observe and narrate the public urination of a rhino.